Medicinal Mushrooms for Multiple Sclerosis

Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of use in Asia and are quickly gaining acceptance elsewhere for a variety of health challenges, including cancer and enhancing immune function. Thus far research concerning their use for multiple sclerosis in particular has been limited, but at least two medicinal mushrooms have shown some promise.

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Lion’s mane mushroom
Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) is one medicinal mushroom that has been studied for its potential in treating neurological disorders, including damaged nerve cells. In particular, it’s been suggested in animal studies that lion’s mane can promote the production of myelin and boost nerve growth.

One such study involved giving lion’s mane extract to rats that had experienced nerve crush injury. A control group that was not treated with the mushroom extract was used for comparison.

Rats treated with lion’s mane demonstrated improvements in various factors that promoted peripheral nerve regeneration. Specifically, the treated rats had greater immune system activity for protein kinase B and mitogen-activated protein kinase, both of which are involved in nerve regeneration. The authors concluded that “H. erinaceus is capable of promoting peripheral nerve regeneration after injury.”

In a 2013 report in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, a team from the University of Malaya reviewed the research concerning the ability of lion’s mane to regenerate damaged nerves. They noted that

Extracts of the mushroom increased the activity nerve growth factor (NGF) in the lab. NGF has been shown to promote the protection and survival of oligodendrocytes (cells that produce myelin) as well as regulate “key structural proteins that comprise myelin” and induce the “production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor,” which also is involved in myelination.

Extracts have also reduced a certain type of cell death, which the authors noted “may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease-induced cell death”

In one of the few human studies reported, older adults with mild cognitive impairment showed improvement after taking 250-mg supplements of the medicinal mushroom three times a day for 16 weeks

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Willow bracket mushroom
Another mushroom that may eventually prove be helpful in multiple sclerosis is willow bracket (Phellinus igniarius). Recently scientists gave an extract of the mushroom to mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a commonly used model for MS.

Use of the mushroom extract was associated with suppression of demyelination and a profound decrease in the daily incidence rate of EAE. Willow bracket also was shown to suppress the infiltration of numerous immune cells involved in multiple sclerosis, including CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells, among others. Overall, the authors concluded that this mushroom extract “may have a high therapeutic potential for ameliorating multiple sclerosis progression.”

Researchers are also considering the possible role of other medicinal mushrooms in restoring nerve function in multiple sclerosis. Among the more common fungi in this category are reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), maitake (Grifola frondosa), cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis), shiitake (Lentinula edodes), and turkey tail (Trametes versicolor). Currently these fungi are most often valued for their immune-boosting properties, a characteristic that also can benefit individuals with MS.

Medicinal mushrooms, especially those that have shown some nerve-promoting abilities, seem to be a natural treatment option to watch if you have multiple sclerosis. While waiting for more definitive findings to be reported, it may be worth talking to a healthcare professional about medicinal mushrooms for immune enhancement.

First of all the best overall treatment with 50 years of history is the Dr Roy Swank Diet who was a neurologist starting in the 50's. This work is being carried on by someone he mentored while he was alive. Dr John McDougall.
This is the only study of its kind that has shown improvement.
So I am on that diet and will be forever, I also take Lions Mane everyday. Because I am older 67 and have some supposedly permanent damage I am trying to stop anything new in it's tracks, heal what I have and move forward.
The other treatment I am on now is high doses of Vitamin D3 that is curing the young people very well.
There are a number of doctors around the world that do that treatment.

Gary is spot on about the Swank diet and D3. I'd suggest you guys look into the Overcoming MS program. It is based on Dr. Swank's decades of work but is a greatly refined and expanded wellness system using hard science.
Check it out at overcomingms.org. Everything you need is there on the organization's fantastic site - for free.
Be well!